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Rotaract members in East Africa unite in service

On a warm Saturday morning in April, about 100 Rotaractors from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi gathered at a community in Buterere in Bujumbura, Burundi, to provide households with clean drinking water.

Some of the Rotaractors, myself included, had traveled over 1,000 kilometers by road, and all sacrificed their Easter holidays to serve.

The project was part of the Rotaract East Africa impaCT (REACT), which involves Rotaract clubs in those four countries plus Tanzania. We showed households how to use modern water purification methods, and donated jerry-cans and water pails to assist with future water collection.

We also taught proper handwashing techniques, handed out bars of soap, and left reading materials that explained hygiene and sanitation.

The event was awesome and even bigger than expected. In its second year, REACT is drawing together young leaders from diverse backgrounds and empowering them to better serve their communities.

REACT is the first all-inclusive Rotaract project of its kind in Eastern Africa. The aim is to alleviate household problems like disease, food security, water, and sanitation by focusing on communities that are most affected and helping them overcome barriers. Projects are selected based on the most immediate need of a community in a given country.

This year’s project was hosted by the Rotaract clubs of Inyenyeri and Bujumbura. We also worked in collaboration with UNICEF, Red Cross, Alchem International, Merck Pharmaceuticals, the Rotary Club of Kisumu, and Rotary clubs in Burundi.

REACT14 was a sure way of focusing on the themes of Rotary,changing individual and community lives and enjoying the diversity in culture and fostering friendship among Rotaractors in E.A,the sponsoring clubs and all those who were involved in one way or another.

My names are Paul Atwine, Charter President of the Rotaract Club of Kampala South, one of the co-organizing clubs for REACT2014 from D9211 Uganda.
REACT was the truly humbling experience that reaffirmed my passion for service above self.

One of the key success drives behind REACT2014 Bujumbura was the aggressive approach we took towards branding the project and building our social media presence. It helped a lot with mobilization, information flow and encouraged clubs that participated to get aggressive with spreading Rotary awareness via social media.
This is the official REACT twitter account.